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He’s like the ghost that haunts the franchise or something, right? The curse?

But I have a question to ask since I’m hearing all this stuff about how he didn’t want to leave and how it all ended when it finally ended and I’m thinking one thing:

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Is this 2004 or 2012?

Seriously.

The stuff about him going to the staff the day before he got traded and telling them he wanted to make it work and would do whatever it took to make that happen is so old, it’s become new again.

It’s been written here for years and years; it was the day before the trade went down, in a conversation with a coach in the Nordstrom’s at the Circle Center mall in downtown Indianapolis in which he said he’d do whatever it took to make things work — come off the bench if necessary, work wherever in the rotation best suited the team — and that was conveyed all the way to the top of the food chain.

The next day — the very next day! — they panic and do the worst trade in franchise history.

So, yes, there is more than enough blame for that debacle to go around, but to think it’s “news” is dead wrong.

Two more points:

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No, I don’t for one second think they should even consider retiring No. 15, Vince was the most gifted player in franchise history and he put the team on the map and was responsible for its greatest success.

Maybe there is a way for them to honour him with the 20th anniversary coming around, maybe there’s a Ring of Honour or somesuch for Carter and, perhaps, four others as the top five of the first two decades.

But retire the number? No way. Shouldn’t even think about it.

And this whole thing about him coming back somehow to end his career with the Raptors?

Well, what did you expect him to say but yes? If he wants to play after this deal is over, and he will have reached his 15-year goal at the end of this (you can read about that here) but why would he limit his future possibilities by saying no? That would make no sense.

Look, the guy can still play, we saw that last night. But I don’t know if next season he’s a good fit in Toronto, it’s a nice thought that I cannot imagine becoming reality.

And now we will leave Vince until the middle of next month when the Mavs come to Toronto and we dredge up something old as new again, again.

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